Repurpose with Purpose: a Soviet-Era Factory Transformed Into a Hub for Community Vitality in Western Ukraine

I live in Maine. AKA America's forehead. Or Acadia South. Or The Way Life Should Be. Maine is many things. It is a state that is often fetishized as Vacationland. At this moment when we are in the crosshairs of reductionist political discourse, it is easy to miss the hope in this state. Hope that comes with the many people here who are problem solvers. If we gather all of us Mainiacs together to rethink systems and structures, we can model approaches that can work in the world that is and the world that is to be rather than long for a world that never really was. Which is exactly why I talk to people here about lessons from Ukraine. And I've increasingly found myself talking about Maine with problem solvers in Ukraine.

Ivano-Frankivsk is a city in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. It has long been an industrial center for the region, experiencing ups and downs tied to geopolitics and global and regional economic forces. This is where you'll find Promprylad. Promprylad was a massive Soviet factory, where Ukrainians produced railroad cars, machine presses, and even umbrellas. Now it is a bustling hub of economic activity and community development.

This resonates with Mainiacs like me. You can't travel through this state without seeing massive industrial complexes rise up in small cities, reminders of times when small and medium sized New England cities spurred national and global industry. Every election season we see the nostalgia for these periods become politicized, with promises of returning cities to their "glory days" by reviving mammoth mills and the return of jobs and industries that, for the most part, no longer exist--at least not in how we discuss them. AND these structures still seem magical. So solutions-oriented people here are glad to talk about how these spaces could be repurposed. A sort of literal structural remodel that can aid figurative structural reform. Which is exactly what the Promprylad Foundation has been doing.

I am in conversation with people at the foundation to do a bit of experimental experiential journalism in October, so let me share some of what I am learning with Anastasiia Tymofiv. Anastasiia’s title is PR Manager of the Prompryland Foundation, though she’s a lot more than that, and she has a guide to Western Ukraine endeavors for me ever since we connected and collaborated at this year’s Lviv Media Forum. 

GG: Anastasiia, what is the story of the Promprylad space in Ivano-Frankisk? How did it come to be what it is today, and what is the goal of the foundation in creating this space?

Anastasiia Tymofiv: Promprylad is an impact investment project transforming a massive Soviet-era factory into a 48,000 m² innovation center. Launched in 2018, it builds upon the proven success of local entrepreneurs who previously founded pioneering civic initiatives, including successful social enterprises and progressive urban development projects in Ivano-Frankivsk. The core idea was not only to renovate a building, but to create a sustainable model where business, local authorities, and civil society work together to fuel socio-economic growth.

From the very beginning, the Promprylad Foundation was built into the project’s design embodying its social functions: economic development and innovation; art for reflection and dialogue; veterans accessible sport and recovery.

Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, the Foundation’s mission has crystallized around a core truth: recovery starts with people. By translating this belief into real opportunities for human growth and resilience, the Promprylad Foundation stands as a blueprint for community-led, human-centered recovery.  

GG: What are the different ways the space is being used?

Anastasiia: On one hand, it has office and coworking spaces, a whole floor with places to eat as well as sports activities, concerts etc. On the other hand, being the commercial AND social project from the very beginning, the space gives these social initiatives a real, physical home under one roof. It is easier if I just list some of them and you share the image, deal GG?

GG: Deal.

Anastasiia: Anastasiia: Inside, you’ll find the Promprylad Entrepreneurship School that helps micro- and small businesses grow through mentorship and networking, focusing especially on women, veterans, and their families so they can build long-term independence. There is the research and product design center "POLE" run by NGO “METALAB”  — a 1000 square meter space where innovative and meaningful products are created, prototyped, and manufactured at the intersection of science, design, engineering, and art.To support the local economy, the reskilling platform PROMTECH offers practical courses and connects students with employers. There is also the  reading promotion center embedded in the Sense Bookstore, where children and adults can explore and grow together.We have what we call a veteran-civilian space and NGO, "PETROS," and the adaptive Fight Club — spaces where veterans, their families, soldiers undergoing rehabilitation in hospitals, and civilians come together to create joint experience of Ukraine’s war realityThere's also the Art Сenter that hosts exhibitions, talks, workshops, and has represented Ukraine on the Venice Biennale 2026...

GG: And the food.

Anastasiia: YES. Foodoteka. 

GG: Say more about that. Most people have yet to appreciate the way in which this war on Ukrainians is a war on Ukrainian culture. So can I tell people that Foodoteka is strategic, economic, and social/cultural?

Anastasiia: Foodoteka is a whole floor at Promprylad with different restaurants. One of the many reasons I admire this project is that even what seems to be 'just a place to eat' was designed with deeper meaning: to create opportunities for Ukrainian food culture development. You will meet the Ukrainian restaurant relocated from occupied Berdiansk which rethinks Ukrainian cuisine, local brewery and many others there.

GG: What more can you tell me more about the ways that military families and veterans use the spaces there?

Anastasiia: They come here to heal and connect. At PETROS, they hang out, do hands-on crafts, or join mental health workshops. To support veterans through sport, our inclusive Fight Club offers free adaptive boxing and martial arts, and we even have an archery school where they train to become coaches. In the following years, we are planning to build the dedicated 3000 m2 Sports and Recovery Center in Ivano-Frankivsk to amplify the impact from those activities. Plus, many veterans use our PROMTECH courses and business-accelerator to learn new technical skills or launch their own businesses.

GG: About that. I mentioned in person that I cringe at the word entrepreneurship now in the US, as the word has ceased all meaning. AND when you describe what happens with your programs, I am reminded of the value of encouraging creative problem solving in individuals and startups. To what extent is Promprylad Foundation designed to be an economic engine for the community? 

Anastasiia: As Ukrainians we are reinventing and exploring ourselves during this war. Entrepreneurship is our way to say I am ready to take responsibility and risk, I am ready to create and stay in Ukraine no matter what. I think we are doing it in quite a unique and difficult circumstances, nevertheless is works. For the foundation socio-economic development, social innovations and innovation in multiple areas are our primary focus.For us, driving the economy of the city and region means supporting young Ukrainians with reasons to stay and grow in Ukraine, giving women a path to entrepreneurship, helping veterans heal and reintegrate, and offering internally displaced people a chance to start again. Since 2022, we have directly supported more than 30,000 people, helped create over 600 jobs, and supported the launch of more than 60 businesses.Economic development and innovation is our primary focus.

For us, driving the economy of the city and region means supporting young Ukrainians with reasons to stay and grow in Ukraine, giving women a path to entrepreneurship, helping veterans heal and reintegrate, and offering internally displaced people a chance to start again. Since 2022, we have directly supported more than 30,000 people, helped create over 600 jobs, and supported the launch of more than 60 businesses.

I am wrapping up this piece sipping beans at Elements, in the magical city of Biddeford, Maine. In the shadows of the historic old Pepperell Mills, I am listening to community members discuss the murder of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, with compassion and frustration. Revisiting lessons from Anastasiia are a reminder that models from Ukraine are highly relevant in this practice.

Thank you for taking a moment to listen and learn with us.